Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 540 Final Report of the Third-Class Fund

The third floor of Shinchiin Castle.

Inside the roundtable meeting room with a hundred people, the grant defense was not set up for Locke alone. After all, everyone was a wizard, time was limited, and everyone was very busy.

Today, four researchers, including Locke, gathered to present the final report of the Third-Class True Knowledge Institute Fund project.

At this moment, Locke was waiting outside the door. He was ranked third among the wizards who were to give their final reports today.

At this moment, the witch Freya pushed open the door and walked out, letting out a soft breath. "I'm done. It's just a pity that I still couldn't get the judging panel to agree to expand my existing third-class grant project into a second-class True Knowledge Institute grant project."

"Locke, it's your turn to go in. I hope you have good luck."

Locke said, "Thank you, Freya."

Locke entered the meeting room, where thirteen wizards were seated. However, the main judges were a second-circle wizard from the Golden Crown Mountain School of Truth, a second-circle wizard from the Boniface University School of Truth, and a third-circle wizard from Quinnjoll University of Prophecy.

Locke was taken aback when he saw the Quinnjoll University insignia on the third-ring wizard's body. After all, he had just read a lot of articles about Quinnjoll University's School of Constructors a few days ago because of Albert's situation.

The third-circle wizard from Quinnjoll University, Hao Brooks, was an elderly man with long white hair and a white beard. He wore non-prescription glasses and a white wizard's robe.

At the same time, Locke deduced from the badge he was wearing that he should only be a third-ring wizard, not a throne wizard.

He must be a prophet.

A wizard of the prophetic school at the third ring level!
She is also a breeder.

The third-ring wizard, Hao, seemed approachable and greeted Locke. "Young wizard, please begin your final report."

Wizard Hao glanced at Locke's thesis, which he was about to pass, and said, "The content looks very rich."

The defense of the True Knowledge Institute Foundation project requires at least two off-campus wizards, and must have wizard mentor positions, one of whom must be a senior wizard mentor.

Therefore, third-circle and second-circle wizards from various True Knowledge Institutes, as well as wizards with sufficient teaching positions, may be invited to participate in the project completion defense of other schools' True Knowledge Institutes.

Locke briefly introduced himself and thanked the wizards who came to participate in the defense, including three judges and other wizards who came to participate, observe, or learn.

Locke glanced at the empty seat next to Wizard Hao, the chair was extremely luxurious, with the fur of a high-level magical creature as the seat cushion, and the seat itself was made of high-grade tree-like magical wood.

That's where Catherine the Witch is.

The cooperating mentor has the right to participate in the final defense of the funded project, so even though Catherine the Witch did not come, a seat was still arranged for her.

The Celtic wizard, who was the leader of Group Six, represented Catherine's will and participated in this final report.

After a few pleasantries, Locke got straight to the point. "I continued the research methods of the six research groups at the Throne of Catherine on Mount Golden Crown, and completed the coexistence relationship of the reproductive capacity of four types of pineapple-like magical plants and magical creatures, as well as the related mechanisms and pathways of action."

The two second-ring wizards on the judging panel whispered to each other, seemingly surprised that Locke had analyzed four different mechanisms of reproductive ability in pineapple-type magical plants and magical creatures at once, while others had only analyzed one at a time.

The second-circle wizard from Bonifacius University quickly read Locke's article. "The data is very detailed. If there's no issue of data fabrication, then this young first-circle wizard's research speed is... very fast."

The second-circle wizard seemed to have a sudden realization. "I remember now, this young wizard almost entered our Boniface's High Institution of Truth."

"In the end, we gave it to you, Esther the Witch."

Esther, a young second-circle wizard from Mount Golden Crown, gave a sarcastic smile. "It's just that you Bonifaces weren't chosen by the right people."

Boniface, a second-circle wizard, chuckled a few times.

Next, the third-ring wizard, Hao, asked Locke a few questions, which Locke answered fluently.

Wizard Hao asked, "You believe that the Rubber Duck Pineapple has a primary symbiotic relationship with the Lightning Bee and a secondary symbiotic relationship with the Thunderbird. How can you be sure that the Lightning Bee's enhanced reproductive ability is simply due to its preference for nesting inside the Rubber Duck Pineapple, and not due to any natural magical components?"

Locke quickly explained, “That’s right. I simulated the internal geometry of the giant rubber duck pineapple and asked a colleague at the True Knowledge Institute who was skilled in lightning magic to help me create a static electric field similar to the giant rubber duck pineapple. This also attracted the lightning bees to build their nests and helped them reproduce.”

"Furthermore, I have conducted a detailed analysis of the natural magical components in the Rubber Duck Pineapple and confirmed from multiple perspectives that the symbiotic relationship between the Rubber Duck Pineapple and the Lightning Bee is not achieved through the structure of natural magical components."

"The data related to this experiment is written in the article..."

The three wizards on the judging panel read through the article and nodded in approval after reviewing the data.

Wizard Hao laughed and said, "It is indeed very well-developed. I heard that you have just entered the True Knowledge Academy. It seems that you have adapted to the Cloud Marsh Wetland very well."

Several second-ring wizards from the shop alliance, seated in their seats, also turned to look at Locke.

Their eyes gleamed as they assessed Locke's research, considering whether it would benefit the businesses behind them and whether it held economic potential.

Next, the three wizards on the judging panel asked Locke a dozen more questions, all of which Locke answered fluently. He also explained his experimental approach to demonstrate the consistency of his experimental data and show that he had not falsified any data.

The three wizards on the judging panel nodded in agreement, indicating that, based on the article and Locke's answer, he had indeed likely completed the mechanism and pathway analysis of the effects of four magical plants on the reproductive capacity of magical creatures within two months, using the foundation's funding.

This efficiency earned the unanimous praise of the judging panel.

The second-circle wizard from Bonifacius University blinked. No matter what, this talent had flowed out of their Bonifacius University, which pained him somewhat.

Esther, the witch beside him, chuckled softly, "Thank you."

"Thank you, Boniface's colleagues, for bringing talent to our Golden Crown Mountain. I heard that you didn't even discuss contract terms with him. Even when the director of the Cloud Ze Cup competition committee, Wizard Morrison, who came from your own school, negotiated with your Dean of the Institute of True Knowledge, Lord Valentinian, Lord Valentinian didn't give him any face, which made Wizard Morrison so angry that he made a huge scene."

The second-circle wizard judge from Bonifacius University, looking rather displeased, insisted, "A capable first-circle wizard is like someone who has unearthed a treasure. Before this, who could have imagined that this wizard's research efficiency would be so high? Moreover, perhaps he is simply suited for this kind of work."

“Our Dean Valentinian is a graduate of the Alchemy School specializing in textiles. He wants our Institute of Truth to increase its investment in textiles. So, it can only be said that this young first-circle wizard is not the kind of talent our Institute of Truth urgently needs right now.”

The second-ring wizard judge turned to look at the Celtic wizard. "However, Celtic wizard, this young first-ring wizard is from your group, isn't he? You've struck gold. You've trained him well."

The Celtic wizard stared at Locke's report, dumbfounded. He could hardly believe that this was Locke's final report.

The detail and reliability of the data astonished him.

He hadn't expected that Locke, without any collaboration with their Group Six and with almost no assistance, could write such a comprehensive final report in such a short time, using only their equipment and research methods.

Moreover, the analysis didn't focus on just one magical plant's mechanism of action; it analyzed the mechanisms of action for four magical plants at once. The Celtic wizard had originally planned to encourage Locke to join Group Six's collaboration if he failed his defense.

If approved, the next step is to persuade him to collaborate with Group Six to work on projects more efficiently.

But at this moment, the Celtic wizard was stunned, because he realized that all the words he had prepared were useless.

Locke analyzed the mechanism of action of four pineapple-type magical plants in just two months. He is a genius at this, and his efficiency is terrifying.

Then it's no use what he says anymore; he's almost doing half the workload of Group Six by himself.

Only then did the Celtic wizards understand why the witch Catherine preferred Locke to the first-ring crystallization stage wizard from their Golden Crown Mountain Academy.

The Celtic wizard, suppressing his embarrassment, laughed and said to the second-circle wizard from Bonifacius University, "It's alright. I know Locke Augustine; he has always been a very capable wizard."

The Celtic wizard tried his best not to let the wizard from another school see the rift between him and Locke, otherwise it would be too embarrassing for him.

“The wizard Augustine has always been a very independent wizard, and even in my group, he doesn’t communicate with many people. But that’s exactly what I admire about him, because…because sheep always flock together, while wolves always roam alone.”

The Celtic wizard said, "I usually give him the greatest possible freedom, precisely because I have unwavering faith in his abilities..."

The Celtic wizard's story became increasingly coherent as he went on, and he himself probably came to believe it.

The wizard Hao from Quinjol University then said, "Everyone, the results are in, right? Now we announce..."

On the podium, Locke changed the subject. "While analyzing the mechanisms of action of the four pineapple magical plants, I discovered a structure resembling a natural magical component, and confirmed that it is a completely new structure resembling a natural magical component, which should not have been recorded in the wizarding world before."

The discussion among the wizards on the judging panel suddenly stopped.

Wizard Hao looked at Locke gently, nodded, and then flipped through Locke's article. "Is this discovery written at the end of the article? Most wizards would write it at the beginning."

"I hadn't seen it before."

On the judges' panel, the other two second-ring wizards quickly flipped to the last part of the article, while the Celtic wizard, breathing heavily, also flipped to the last part.

The article concludes by describing how Locke used the Ice Mirror, Sunlight Mirror, and Electromagnetic Mirror to map the three-dimensional structure, function, and pathways of action of that natural magical structure on three levels within the organism.

Locke quickly gave a brief explanation.

The third-circle wizard, Hao, from Quinnjoll University, smiled slightly and said, "I didn't expect that just participating in a defense of an ordinary third-class grant project would make me take it a little more seriously."

“I’ve seen it, and it is indeed a very rare natural magical component structure. But I’m not a wizard specializing in lightning, so I can’t be sure if this structure has ever been discovered in the wizarding world.”

"Are there any generalists or lightning wizards here?"

Two second-circle wizards stepped forward from the audience: a generalist and a wizard specializing in lightning.

The two surrounded the wizard Hao, while the two second-ring wizards and the Celtic wizard on the judging panel were also reading the last part of Locke's article, word by word, which was the part about discovering the new natural magical structure.

Ten minutes later, the second-circle wizard of the Generalist school lowered the Focusing Monocle on his left eye and said, "That's right, this is indeed a completely new natural magical composition structure. At least in the database of the Three Swamps, there is no record of it at all."

Another wizard specializing in lightning, as if he had discovered a treasure, greedily gazed at the three microscopic three-dimensional structural diagrams of the natural magical components, the three functional diagrams of the magical level, and the diagram of the pathways within a living organism, wishing he could memorize all of these complex patterns immediately.

"Yes, yes, this is indeed a completely new natural magical structure of lightning. My goodness, even if someone discovers a new natural magical structure, they wouldn't compile such detailed information or investigate its properties so thoroughly. This first-ring wizard has already recorded most of the data on this natural magical structure."

The Celtic wizard snatched the copy of the paper from his hand. "Wait a minute, this is the property of Golden Crown University. You're not one of the invited reviewers for this defense; you're just here to do some preliminary evaluation."

"If you want to read, remember to go to the library and use your contribution points to purchase it."

The second-circle wizard specializing in lightning looked up at the Celtic wizard with a helpless expression. "Celtic, five years ago, you weren't this stingy."

At this moment, the third-circle wizard, Hao, from Quinjol University, smiled and looked at Locke, saying, "I was a little sleepy after listening to two tedious defenses. I'm just sitting here out of politeness."

"To be honest, listening to the reports on the simple experiments conducted by first-ring wizards is torture for me."

"I'm only sitting here out of politeness, and also because your school's third-ring wizards will inevitably have to go to our school to experience this kind of suffering. But listening to your defense has indeed made me take it a bit more seriously."

The old wizard Hao laughed and said, "Young first-ring wizard, your article is qualified even if it were submitted to Green Grass Clouds in District One."

Locke bowed to him and said, "Respected Mentor Hao, I did submit my manuscript, and this morning I was just notified that it has been approved."

The old wizard Hao nodded. "Of course. The brand-new natural magical structure has always been a favorite of Green Grass and Cloud Marsh."

"It's easy to climb up. Congratulations, young first-ring wizard. At my age, it's a real treat to see a young first-ring wizard like you shine so brightly."

The old wizard Hao smiled and said, "For us, seeing outstanding descendants is a joy. But can you tell us how you discovered the structure of this natural magical component?"

"You seem to have an extraordinary intuition for this topic, which makes it particularly easy for you to achieve results. Could you share your tips with us?"

Locke thought to himself, "They're here."

He had anticipated that someone would ask him this question during his defense.

He wondered why he was able to find the mechanisms of action of so many magical plants so quickly, and discover a completely new natural magical structural component.

After much deliberation, Locke decided to channel this ability into his talent as a breeder.

Locke paused, drawing everyone's attention.

Now, even the wizards representing the shop alliances in the roundtable conference room stood up, ran to the judges' seats, and crowded around, eager to read Locke's article.

Locke said, "Perhaps it's because of my special talent in the field of breeding."

"I joined the Shinji Institute of Mount Kinmaki by winning the Yunze Cup."

“I have a particularly strong interest in breeding, so I directly cultivated a variant of the Rubber Duck pineapple—and thus discovered a new natural magical structural component.”

(End of this chapter)